Information processing apparatus, printing control system, method, and storage medium

Abstract

An information processing apparatus is connected to a plurality of job servers storing a plurality of jobs and a plurality of image forming apparatuses executing the jobs through a communication network. The information processing apparatus includes a communication interface that receives a request for a job list of a user from an image forming apparatus and a controller unit that controls a request for acquiring the jobs and a response to the request executed between the image forming apparatuses and the job servers.

1 . A information processing apparatus which is connected to a plurality of job servers storing a plurality of jobs and a plurality of image forming apparatuses executing the jobs through a communication network, comprising:
 a communication interface that receives a request for a job list of a user from an image forming apparatus; and   a controller unit that controls a request for acquiring the jobs and a response to the request executed between the image forming apparatuses and the job servers;   wherein   the controller unit acquires display information which includes the job list of the user, from a job server located in a area which is different from an area in which the image forming apparatus is located, based on a request for acquiring the display information received from the image forming apparatuses, and transmits the display information to the image forming apparatus, and   the controller unit acquires job data from the job server storing the job which is designated for execution based on a request for acquiring an execution job received from the image forming apparatus, and   the controller unit transmits the job data to the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The information processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 further comprising:   a control information storing unit that stores control information including image forming apparatus information including area identification information that indicates the area and machine identification information that indicates the image forming apparatus and job server information including the area identification information and server identification information that indicates the job server, wherein   the controller unit switches to another the job server to acquire the display information, based on the machine identification information received from the image forming apparatus at the timing of the request for acquiring the display information and the control information stored in the control information storing unit at the timing of the request for acquiring the display information.   
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein   the controller unit
 acquires the area identification information corresponding to the machine identification information with reference to the image processing apparatus information based on the machine identification information received from the image forming apparatus, 
 acquires the server identification information which dose not correspond to the area identification information with reference to the job server information based on the area identification information, 
 determines the job server corresponding to the server identification information as a connection destination for acquiring the display information, and 
 acquires extended display information denotes the job list by sending the user identification information to the job server. 
   
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 ,
 wherein   the controller
 acquires the area identification information corresponding to the machine identification information with reference to the image processing apparatus information based on the machine identification information received from the image forming apparatus, 
 acquires the server identification information which correspond to the area identification information with reference to the job server information based on the area identification information, 
 determines the job server corresponding to the server identification information as a connection destination for acquiring the display information, and 
 acquires extended display information denotes the job list by sending the user identification information to the job server. 
   
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 ,
 wherein   in a case in which the job server located in the area in which the image forming apparatus is located does not store the job of the user, the controller unit acquires extended display information from the job server set in an area which is different from the area in which the image forming apparatus is located.   
     
     
         6 . The information processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 further comprising:   an aggregating unit that aggregates the plurality of display information to a consolidated display information;   wherein   in a case in which the controller unit acquires the plurality of the display information, the aggregating unit aggregates the plurality of display information to the consolidated display information, and   the controller unit transmits the consolidated display information to the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . The information processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein   the controller unit determines whether or not the area in which the image forming apparatus is located is consistent with an area the user belongs to, and   the controller unit switches to another job server to acquire the display information based on the result of the determination of whether or not the area in which the image forming apparatus is located is consistent with the area the user belongs to.   
     
     
         8 . The information processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 ,
 further comprising:   a control information storing unit that stores control information including image forming apparatus information comprising of area identification information which indicates the area and machine identification information that indicates the image forming apparatus and job server information including area identification information and server identification information that indicates the job server,   wherein   the controller unit determines whether or not the area in which the image forming apparatus is located is consistent with an area the user belongs to, and   in a case in which the area in which the image forming apparatus is located is not consistent with the area the user belongs to, the controller unit communicates with a job server located in an area which is different from the area in which the image forming apparatus is located to acquire the display information, and   the controller unit acquires the extended display information from the job server located in the area which is different from the area in which the image forming apparatus is located.   
     
     
         9 . The information processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 ,
 wherein   the controller unit determines whether or not the area in which the image forming apparatus is located is consistent with an area the user belongs to, and   in a case in which the area in which the image forming apparatus is located is consistent with the area the user belongs to, the controller unit communicates with the job server located in the area where the image forming apparatus is located to acquire the display information, and   the controller unit acquires basic display information from the job server in the area in which the image forming apparatus is located.   
     
     
         10 . A job control system comprising:
 a plurality of job servers that store a plurality of jobs;   a plurality of image forming apparatuses that execute the jobs; and   an information processing apparatus connected to the plurality of job servers and the plurality of image forming apparatuses through a communication network,   the information processing apparatus includes:   a communication interface that receives a request for a job list of a user from an image forming apparatus; and   a controller unit that controls a request for acquiring the jobs and a response to the request executed between the image forming apparatuses and the job servers;   wherein   the controller unit acquires display information which includes the job list of the user, from a job server located in a area which is different from an area in which the image forming apparatus is located, based on a request for acquiring the display information received from the image forming apparatuses, and transmits the display information to the image forming apparatus, and   the controller unit acquires job data from the job server storing the job which is designated for execution based on a request for acquiring an execution job received from the image forming apparatus, and   the controller unit transmits the job data to the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         11 . A job control method executed in information processing apparatus which is connected to a plurality of job servers storing a plurality of jobs and a plurality of image forming apparatuses executing the jobs through a communication network, said method comprising:
 receiving, with a communication interface, a request for a job list of a user from an image forming apparatus;   controlling, with a controller unit, a request for acquiring the jobs and a response to the request for the job list;   acquiring, with the controller unit, display information which includes the job list of the user, from a job server located in a area which is different from an area in which the image forming apparatus is located, based on a request for acquiring the display information received from the image forming apparatus;   transmitting, with the controller, the display information to the image forming apparatus;   acquiring, with the controller unit, job data from the job server storing the job which is designated for execution based on a request for acquiring an execution job received from the image forming apparatus; and   transmitting, by the controller unit, the job data to the image forming apparatus.